SLAM!

I collided with another body as I reared around the corner of the 300 and 400 wing; both of us falling to the ground and scattering our books, papers and other such things onto the ground around us where we now lay.

Reaching up, I put my hand on the top of my skull where my raggety beanie sat covering my long blonde locks which were tied into two low pigtails.

"Jeez! Know where you're walking! It's one side, moron!" I groaned while shaking my head back into reality as I scrambled to pick up my books.

"I'm sorry, Helga, I didn't see you."

His voice soothed my now-aching muscles and my guard fell to the ground in a similar fashion as I had moments ago. "A-Arnold?" I stuttered out.

He sat up from the ground, soon making his way to stand and offer me his hand. "Yeah, I'm sorry I ran into you."

I shooed his hand away and scoffed, "I don't need your HELP, Footballhead. I can manage standing all by my big-girl self thankyouverymuch."

Arnold reached down to help pick up our assignments and books which were littering the already-littered hallway; hesitating as he got to one book in particular, him lifting it up slowly. "Uh oh..." He mumbled.

Pushing myself to stand, I brushed my pants off from the general gross-ness of the hallway floor (which CLEARLY hadn't been swept in a good while). "Well THAT doesn't sound good, Hair Boy. You do some damage or something? You know, I don't have hallway-insurance, so we'll just have to-"

"I broke your phone. I-I..." He took a breath while picking up my shattered phone from where it lay under his history book. "I am SO SORRY, Helga."

Slowly I outstretched my arm and took the cracked window-to-the-world sitting in his shaky hands.

It wasn't completely ruined. At least not completely destroyed, I mean to say. Sure the glass had a HUGE shatter ripple starting at the top right-hand corner that covered NEARLY the whole screen, but as I tapped the button on the side the rectangle lit up and I breathed a sigh of relief.

At least it isn't broken... I thought to myself.

"Be happy it still works." I grumbled to him as he remained frozen where he stood in front of me.

"I am so sorry, Helga," he repeated with wide eyes staring at the phone "I-I'll get you a new one. Right away. Tonight." His brows furrowed together as he looked down while thinking deeply," Wait- wait not tonight. I don't get paid until Friday, can you wait that long? I'll-I'll even get you a phone case and protector for it and everything."

He was rambling. And he needed to stop. Now.

I held up my free hand to stop him and shook my head calmly, my blood pumping with adrenaline as I spoke. "No worries, my fine football faced amigo. This puppy-" I pointed on the cracked screen and tapped twice "-still has 2 years warrantee on it so I can get it replaced-" I snapped "-in a jiffy."

He swallowed what appeared to be a gulp the size of a small chipmunk, "Are you S-sure? Cause really, Helga, it's not a big deal. I promise."

"I'm FINE, Arnoldo. Don't worry about it. It wasn't like you MEANT to drop your history book on my phone and shatter it completely. No sweat."

He reached up to rub the back of his neck while using his other arm to clutch his books and papers tightly against his chest. "I'd still feel better if there was SOMETHING I could do. I feel really REALLY bad."

A smile tugged at my lips, "You wanna do something that will make it up to me, Arnold? Hmm?" I asked in the sweetest tone I could muster.

He slowly nodded his head though his expression hinted that he knew what was to come.

I shrugged myself up tall and leaned over to look down at him with narrowed eyes and a scowl set on my mouth. "HOW about you just do me a FAVOR and get your freaky head OUT of my business, ALRIGHT? I can do JUST FINE without your guilty charity-work. Got it? Now scram before I change my mind and decide to pound you into next week for breaking my phone!"

He sighed, discouraged, "Whatever you say, Helga." Turning around slowly, he tried to leave but found himself stuck and turning back around to face me. "I really am sorry. I'm going to make it up to you, I promise."

I watched as he walked away, his head slightly sunken though it perked at the sight of Gerald. Immediately, Arnold began to talk with big gestures all explaining what had just occurred- how he'd BROKEN Helga's phone.

THE Helga G. Pataki's phone.

Standing in the hallway with other students passing me carelessly, their minds focused on their own lives, I looked down to the damaged phone in my hand.

With a tap of the home button, the screen lit up again with its familiar prompting of my passcode which I typed in mindlessly.

Without thought, I continued to tap away on the cracked screen to navigate to the album I hid in a secret folder locked away to the typical phone-snooper.

From where I stood, I saw the empty corner where the lockers met the wall and garbage can, and quickly scurried to hide in the small space while tapping onto the picture I'd been itching to look at.

Arnold's picture.

"Oh Arnold!" I swooned as his photo-captured green-eyes looked back at me through the shattered glass screen, "How selfless of you! How absolutely thoughtful and good of your kind-natured soul to offer your hard-earned money to repair that which has been broken by mere accident?" I pulled the phone into my chest and held it there as I continued to whisper with tightly shut eyes, "If only you knew what truly needs to be repaired- if only you knew of the shattered broken heart inside of my rough and tough exterior. How I long for you- long for the words, the only words that can fill the cracks void of your love. A love, for which I have pined, my entire existence. Your love for which I WILL pine, until the end of my days... Oh!"

For a moment, my love surrounded me; the warmth flooding my body from head to toe as I sat beside the garbage can in my little nook.

And then it was ruined.

By that ever familiar wheezing.

The wheezing that always found its way into my life no matter WHERE I hid.

Brainy...

I slid myself up the wall to stand and emerge from where I'd been hiding. With one fowl swoop, I reached over to grab Brainy by the shirt collar and thrust him back-first against the locker with a loud SLAM reverberating through the hallway.

"Seriously, Brainy?" I said while still gripping his shirt and carefully sliding my phone into my pocket with my other hand. "You're 16 now. I'm 16 now. How about we give it a rest, huh? Aren't you tired of getting hit? Hmm? Don't you just want it all to stop? What's your deal?"

He stared at me while his breathing continued in it's nasal way like a pug giving birth.

Blinking twice I sighed and let go of his shirt; it's shape permanently wrinkled from the inside of my fist. "One of these days, Brain-O."

With a spin on my heel, I turned around to leave Brainy stunned against the locker watching after me as I stalked off. With slight effort, I pushed my way back into the current of hormone-driven students and joined in to hurry with the masses to my next class.

hi all!

Just a fun little idea I had that ended up a bit longer than a drabble lol

let me know what you think!

xoxo

Polkahotness